Improvement in portable and traction engines



Z Sheets-Sheet 1. N. M. DAVIDSON.

PORTABLE, AND TRACTION ENGINE.

170,188,866, Patented March. 27,1877.

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2 SheetsSheet 2.

N. M. DAVIDSON.

PORTABLEAND TRACTION ENGINE. No.188,866. Patented March 27,1877.

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I erators stand or platformO.

' in front of said ash-box, and under said boiler UNITED l STATES PATENTOFFICE.

NOBLE M. DAVIDSON, OF ADA, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN PORTABLE AND TRACTION ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 188,566, dated March27, 1877; application filed January 27, 1877.

To all whom it mag concern:

' Be it known that I, NOBLE M. DAVIDSON, of Ada, in the county of Hardinand State of Ohio, have invented a new and valuable Improvement inTraction-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description of the construc- This invention hasrelation to traction-em gines. The nature of said invention consists,first, in certain devices whereby either or both of the reartransporting-wheels may be disconnected from the motors without changingthe gearing. It also consistsjn the combination of two steam-cylindersand their drivingshafts, with a detachable connecting linkor crank,whereby said engine-cylinders may either be operated together orseparately,as preferred.

It also consists in the combination, with two driving-shafts, operatedby separate engine-cy linders, of a single rotating shaft which givesmotion to a governor.

' It consists, finally, in certain additional devices and combinationshereinafter particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, A designates the cylindrical casing of theboiler and smokebox of a traction-engine, and B designates a smoke-stackapplied to said smokebox in the usual way. At the-rear of said boiler isa raised steam-chest or steam-dome, 0, connected therewith, whence thesteam passes to the working-cylinders, hereinafter described. Under saidsteam-dome, though inclosed in the same external casing, is a fire- 1box, and under that an ash-box, 0 extending below the lower line ofboiler-casing A. To the rear of said ash-box G is secured the op- In thespace and smoke-box, a water-tank, D, is suspended from casing A bymeans of a metal strap, D, which passes over the top of easing A.

E designates the two front transportingwheels, and F the axle of saidwheels, which is downwardly curved in the middle, and there pivoted tothe bottom of boiler-casing A, near the front thereof. To the ends ofsaid axle, just inside of said wheels, I attach chains F F by means ofsmall clips or collars ff. Said chains extend backward to a cylinder orlong drum, G, Fig. 3, which is journaled in bearing-plates G G attachedto the sides of the fire-box already described, and extending forwardtherefrom. Said drum or cylinder is provided at one end with a smallspur-Wheel or pinion, g, which gears with, and receives motion from, aworm, g, on the end of an upwardly and rearwardly inclined crank-shaft,G Said crank-shaft has its lower bearing in a ing or small bearing-block(indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1) formed on one of saidbearing-plates, G and its upper bearing in an eye secured to the side ofsteam-dome O. Said crank-shaft may also be braced by passing through agroove or perforation in one of the short rear axles H. Said crank-shaftis conveniently operated from the operators stand or platform (3 Whenrotated to the right it causes the right chain F to wind upon, drum orcylinder G, and thereby makes axle F swing in that direction. Byrotating said crank-shaft G to the left the opposite effect is produced.The traction-engine is thus guided in any direction desired. In orderthat only one chain, F or F may be drawn upon at a time as said'guiding-shaft G is rotated, said chains are attached to drum G, as shownin Fig. 3, one of them passing around said drum from above, the otherfrom below.

I designates the two rear transporting-wheels, which turn on thejournals of short axles H H (bolted to the boiler) already referred to.To the inner side of each rear wheel I, an internally-geared metal ring,J, is rigidly attached. Said annular gear J engages with and receivesmotion from a pinion, K, on a sleeve, K which carries at its other end aspur-Wheel, K Said sleeve with the gears attached turns loosely upon ashaft, L, on the inner end of which is formed or rigidly secured a diskor plate, L. Said plate (shown in detail in Fig. 5) is secured to theside of steam-dome by means of three set-screws l l 1 Set-screw l passesthrough a perforation in said plate, but the other two setscrews, l andpass through slots 1 and l. Said slots are given such an inclination orcurve that the said plate, swinging on setscrew 1 may be adjusted, whenscrews l and l are loosened, so as to throw pinion K at will into, orout of, engagement with annular gear J. By again tightening saidset-screws l and 1 said pinion is secured in either the engaged ordisengaged position. The same movement above described also makes orbreaks the geared connection between spurwheel K and a pinion, ll on ashort drivingshaft, M, which is operated by connecting-rod N of one oftwo similar steam-cylinders, N. Said cylinders constitutetwo independentengines, which may be used at the same time for different work, or onemay lie idle while the other is in use. The disconnecting devicespreviously described (which are the same on each side of the engine)enable both of the rear transporting-wheels l to remain stationary whileone or both of said engines are working; or, for the purpose of makingshort turns during transportatiomone of said wheels may be rotated morerapidly than the other. In any case no change or shifting of gearing isrequired, except the pivotal adjustment of plate L and the partsattached thereto, as already described.

The two corresponding driving-shafts M M are arranged in the same lineat right angles to the axis of boiler-casing A. They are provided attheir inner ends with small crankwheels m m (turned by connecting-rodsor pitmen N N, already referred to,) and at their outer ends withbelt-wheels at m which are adapted to Operate machinery of any sort.Driving-shafts M M may be used independently, as already stated, or theymay be connected by means of a bent link or connectingarm 0, so as tooperate together. Said link or connecting-arm 0 is perforated at eachend, as shown in Fig. 4, and sets upon small studs m m on the oppositefaces of crankwheels m m.

Each of said shafts M carries also a grooved pulley, P, and thesepulleys are connected, by endless bands or cord P, to two larger groovedpulleys, P arranged at the ends of a shaft, P, which is journaled in theupper ends of two raised standards, P P, secured by their lower ends tocasing A. Said shaft P carries a small drum or pulley, 10, whereby poweris transmitted to the shaft of a ball-governor, (not shown,) which isarranged and operates in the usual manner. If either hand or cord Pslips from its pulleys, or the connection on one side of the apparatusis otherwise broken, the other band or cord P will continue to operatethe governor, so that no interruption of the work will occur.

Q designates a steam-pipe extending from steam-dome (J to a point overthe forward part of the boiler, where it connects with the lSQqSGGmiddle of an arched pipe, Q, that leads downward to valve-casings R It,secured on the outer sides of cylinders N N, and communicating,respectively, therewith. In steam-pipe Q is arranged a valve or cut-off,provided with a crank-arm, g, from which a rod, q, extends to the rearof the machine, above the operators platform 0 By a single movement atthe rear of the apparatus the supply of steam may thus be shut off fromboth the enginecylinders N N. The supply to each one of said cylindersmay also be independently shut off or regulated by stop cocks q, one ofwhich is arranged in each upright part of said arched tube Q.

One of the previously-described shafts M is provided with a smallgrooved pulley, m, which communicates motion, by means of an endlessbelt, chain, or cord, 8, to a large grooved wheel, S, on one end of atransverse shaft, S, jonrnaled in raised bearing-plates s s fixed to thesides of boiler-casing A. The other end of said shaft S carries a smallcrankwheel, S, which, by means of-connecting-rod 8 gives reciprocatorymotion to the pistonrod t of a small force-pump, T, that raises Waterfrom tank D through induction-pipe T and discharges the same waterthrough pipe T into the boiler within casing A. Said boiler may be keptfilled with water to the under side of the top of cylindrical casing A,as the steam-dome (J will allow suflicient space for the generation andexpansion of the steam, which is supplied thence to the cylinders N.

Each of the driving-shafts M operates a link-motion, constructed asfollows: On said driving-shaft are two eccentrics, U U, which givemotion to two rods, u u, that are attached thereto by their rear ends,while their forward diverging ends are connected by a link, a. Said linkmay be raised or lowered in a perforated block, 12, secured to a valve-rod, V, which slides in valve-casing R. The aforesaid devices operate,like all link-motions, to reverse or modify the operation of the piston,and the wheels operated thereby, without requiring any shifting ofgearing. The raising and lowering of said link a, whereby said changesof motion are efiected, is caused by a rock-shaft, W, journaled instandards I? P under governor-operating shaft P Said rock-shaft isprovided at each end with a pair of toggle-arms, 10, which connect it toone of said links u. It is also provided near the middle with a rigidarm, M), which has a pin-and-slot connection to along adjusting-rod, X,that extends longitudinally to the rear of the machine, passing throughslotted guide-plate 41;. By means of said adjusting-rod, rock-shaft, andtoggle-arms the action of both engines can be simultaneously reversed.

The construction of the boiler-casing A, steam-dome 0, and water-tank Dallows me to carry a considerable quantity of water without occupyingunnecessary space. The arrangement of the gearing, and the small size ofcrank-wheels m on driving-shafts M, allow the engine to be run with verylittle vertical vibration of connecting-rods N, thus diminishing thewear and strain on said rods.

Steam-dome G, by allowing cylindrical boiler-shell A to be carried fullof water. causes the steam-pipe and water-pipe to be protected by saidwater from injury by heat when either end of the engine is elevated inrunning up or down hill. It also supplies dry steam to the cylinders NN.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a traction-engine, the combination of plate L, slotted at l l, andrigidly attached to shaft L, with a sleeve turning on said shaft, andcarrying apart of the gearing, whereby one of the transporting-wheels isoperated, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a traction-engine, the combination of two independentoperating-cylinders, with the rear transporting wheels, two independenttrains of connecting gearing, and two independent slotteddisconnecting-plates, L, arranged and operating substantially as setforth.

3. In a traction-engine, the combination of two engine-cylinders, andtheir piston -rods and connecting-rods, with two driving-shafts operatedthereby, and a detachable connection for said shaft, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of engine-cylinder N, connecting-rods N, and shaftsM, with detachable connecting arm or link 0, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a traction-engine, of two independentdriving-shafts, with a governor-operating shaft operated by either orboth of them, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a traction-engine, the combination of boiler-casing A, steam-domeO, water-tank D, and suspending-band D, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above 1 have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

NOBLE M. DAVIDSON. Witnesses:

JOHN FRIEDLY, Sm. ARBUTHNOT.

